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Encapsulation is an innovative promising technique in the field of biotechnology, both for confining live microorganisms to promote their viability during processing and for the target delivery in the gastrointestinal tract, and for trapping active metabolites produced during a fermentation process within a carrier material, allowing their gradual release. During this work, a probiotic strain, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei CBA L74, was encapsulated using a hydrolyzed oatmeal suspension as a prebiotic carrier, by extrusion technique with CaCl2 a (1M) and alginate (1% w/v). The mini-bioreactors obtained were suspended in three different external liquids, (the same hydrolyzed oatmeal suspension used for the capsule production; a hydrolyzed oatmeal suspension with a modified pH equal to 3.3, and a hydrolyzed oatmeal suspension formulated by adding a specific concentration of dead bacteria) to evaluate whether the external liquid can help the confinement of the bacteria in the capsules. For this purpose, the fermentation process was carried out at 37°C for 24h; both capsules and external liquids were characterized by microbiological and chemical analyses. The maximum bacterial growth ( 109 CFU/mL) was reached in all the capsules, except for those suspended in the formulation with a modified pH where a bacterial charge of 3.5 x 108 CFU/mL was obtained; in any case, the bacterial confinement was not obtained. The highest lactic acid concentration (15.9 g/L) was observed for the capsules suspended in the same oatmeal suspension used for encapsulation, while the lowest one was obtained in the external oatmeal liquid with a modified pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encapsulation is a commonly used tool in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields to protect the compound of interest from adverse environmental conditions (i.e., production process, gastrointestinal transit, immune defense) or to ensure a target or controlled release of an active principle. However, capsules can also be used as reactors, by which probiotics can carry out a fermentation with improved process performances. In the present work, hydrolyzed oatmeal capsules were developed as mini-bioreactors, segregating the probiotic strain in active fermentation and allowing the metabolite release. The aim was to study how composition can influence the ability to ferment and the confinement of microorganisms. Four different capsules formulations were studied varying CaCl2 and alginate concentrations [(i) 0.5% alginate-0,1 M CaCl2; (ii) 1% alginate-1 M CaCl2; (iii) 1% alginate-3 M CaCl2; (iv) 1% alginate-5 M CaCl2]. The capsules were suspended in the same hydrolyzed oatmeal suspension used to produce them and left to ferment at 37°C for 24h. Microbiological and chemical analyses were carried out on both capsules and external liquids. An increase in the bacterial concentration of about 3 logs was recognized for all the first three formulations in the capsules, while a growth inhibition was observed for the (iv) formulation, the only formulation for which microorganism confinement was also noted. The highest lactic acid production (15.9 g/L) was observed for the (ii) formulation, while the lowest one was also recorded for formulation (iv). Optical analyses confirmed the different structural characteristics of the capsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the role of the gut microbiota in metabolic health, immunity, behavioral balance, longevity, and intestine comfort has been the object of several studies from scientific communities. They were encouraged by a growing interest from food industries and consumers toward novel fermented ingredients and formulations with powerful biological effects, such as pre, pro, and postbiotic products. Depending on the selected strains, the operating conditions, the addition of suitable reagents or enzymes, the equipment, and the reactor configurations, functional compounds with high bioactivity, such as short-chain fatty acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, bioactive peptides, and serotonin, can be enhanced and/or produced through fermentation of several vegetable matrices. Otherwise, their formation can also be promoted directly in the gut after the dietary intake of fermented foods: In this case, fermentation will aim to increase the content of precursor substances, such as indigestible fibers, polyphenols, some amino acids, and resistant starch, which can be potentially metabolized by endogenous gut microorganisms and converted in healthy molecules. This review provides an overview of the main functional components currently investigated in literature and the associated gut health benefits. The current state of the art about fermentation technology as a promising functionalization tool to promote the direct or indirect formation of gut-health-enhancing components was deepened, highlighting the importance of optimizing microorganism selection, system setups, and process conditions according to the target compound of interest. The collected data suggested the possibility of gaining novel functional food ingredients or products rich in functional molecules through fermentation without performing additional extraction and purification stages, which are needed when conventional culture broths are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the actual scenario, characterised by a global crisis, sustainability is not a minor player; it has a crucial role in the global outlook. Sustainability at the environmental level evolves in recycling, reusing, upcycling, and no squandering policies. Nowadays, the incessant, excessive, and growing use of plastic has a strong impact on global warming and represents a threat to the Oceans and the Planet. The paper industry can play a crucial role in addressing this emergency, by substituting mostly or totally (where it is possible) this impacting material. To confer paper materials the same plastic resistances, some additives could be used. In detail, the feasibility of upcycling silk waste was investigated and paper products containing silk fibers were formulated to realize worthy substitutes for plastic materials. These alternative fibers were inserted as a filler (20%wt. and 30% wt) in the cellulosic matrix and the resulting suspension was used to produce special papers for packaging. Silk, in both cases, was subjected to a chemical pretreatment with NaOH before paper sheet formation, which guaranteed an appropriate silk-cellulose interaction, without compromising the final chemichal-physical properties. Moreover, the sheets were subjected to non-destructive and destructive testing, which confirmed respectively their high-quality degree and good mechanical resistances. Silk confers special characteristics, in particular, the resulting sheets with silk were fluffier to the touch than the reference in pure cellulose. The resulting materials can be used as semi-finished products to obtain more sustainable paper-based packaging materials and promote a plastic-to-paper transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alginate is a natural polysaccharide commonly obtained from brown algae and is usually used in the food industry as an additive, specifically as a thickening, gelling, and emulsifying agent. Due to its polyanionic nature, it can crosslink in the presence of divalent or trivalent cations. This crosslinking process involves the formation of chemical bonds between the carboxylic groups of parallel chains, resulting in a solid structure. In this way, compounds of interest can be enclosed in a capsule or a bead. Thanks to this ability, possible applications of alginate capsules are countless: it is possible to range from the pharmaceutical to the nutritional fields, from the agri-food industry to the textile or cosmetic sectors. These capsules can protect the encapsulated ingredients, promote their delivery or controlled release, or be imagined as small-scale reactors. The present review describes the main techniques used to produce alginate capsules, and several examples of possible application fields are shown., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Recently, the role of the gut microbiota in metabolic health, immunity, behavioral balance, longevity, and intestine comfort has been the object of several studies from scientific communities. They were encouraged by a growing interest from food industries and consumers toward novel fermented ingredients and formulations with powerful biological effects, such as pre, pro, and postbiotic products. Depending on the selected strains, the operating conditions, the addition of suitable reagents or enzymes, the equipment, and the reactor configurations, functional compounds with high bioactivity, such as short-chain fatty acids, gamma-aminobutyric acid, bioactive peptides, and serotonin, can be enhanced and/or produced through fermentation of several vegetable matrices. Otherwise, their formation can also be promoted directly in the gut after the dietary intake of fermented foods: In this case, fermentation will aim to increase the content of precursor substances, such as indigestible fibers, polyphenols, some amino acids, and resistant starch, which can be potentially metabolized by endogenous gut microorganisms and converted in healthy molecules. This review provides an overview of the main functional components currently investigated in literature and the associated gut health benefits. The current state of the art about fermentation technology as a promising functionalization tool to promote the direct or indirect formation of gut-health-enhancing components was deepened, highlighting the importance of optimizing microorganism selection, system setups, and process conditions according to the target compound of interest. The collected data suggested the possibility of gaining novel functional food ingredients or products rich in functional molecules through fermentation without performing additional extraction and purification stages, which are needed when conventional culture broths are used., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists®.)